The Billionaire's Housekeeper (Betsy Jones Book 1) - Unedited

The Billionaire's Housekeeper - Chapter 28

They didn't go to back home. Betsy sat in painful silence as Nick expertly guided the car through the streets on London, his mouth firmly closed as he focused on the road ahead. He didn't say where they were going. Betsy wasn't sure if he even knew where he was taking them. He just kept taking random turns with no real destination in mind. Betsy was almost certain they passed the same shops and signs several times but eventually they seemed to move further from the centre of the capital. All of this without a single word from Nick. She almost would have preferred to have the radio on to at least cut though this painful tension.

Unable to take the silence any longer, Betsy murmured, "Did you want to talk as you drive?"

Nick deftly indicated and took a turn, a different one this time. Still, he did not speak. Betsy suddenly felt restricted and confined, the seat belt almost suffocating as it held her in place. She wanted to be anywhere but in this car. She crossed her legs and then uncrossed them. She knotted her hands into the skirt of her dress and then released her grip when she realised she would crease the fabric.

Waiting for Nick to decide it was the right time to speak was the worst part of this. Knowing there was a secret he needed to confess and being forced to wait to hear it made her feel restless. Betsy longed to be out in the open, even if it rain was hammering down against the roof of the car, so she could try and burn off some of the energy by pacing. Pacing sounded good.

It took another half an hour of silence before the car steered off of a main highway and into a car park. The bright yellow M glowing even through the sheets of rain brought no comfort. They may as well have been in the middle of nowhere, in complete impenetrable darkness, for all the difference it made.

The location of their talk didn't matter.

All that mattered to her right there was the fear which held her captive. Her heart was thundering in her chest and she felt queasy as she waited for him to speak. She was overthinking it, there was no way to deny that, but until he finally told her what was happening she was always going to predict the worst. How could she not?

"I don't even know where to begin," Nick whispered into the silence of the car.

She jolted around in her seat, the abrupt movement causing the safety belt to lock into place. She fumbled for the catch as her wide eyes locked on to the side of Nick's face. His features were cast in shadows, hiding his emotions from her gaze. And yet she could see the way he held himself stiffly, the way his head was bowed as she kept his gaze averted.

Hands blindly reaching for the button to release the seat belt, Betsy drew in a deep breath as she was freed. Then she turned so her back was pressed against the door, her entire being focused entirely on the man whom she had been kissing just hours before. It felt like days had passed since those carefree moments.

"How about you start at the beginning? That's always the best place to start." Betsy replied, her voice calm even though inside she felt far from it.

Nick tightened his hands around the steering wheel and nodded his head. "Right. The beginning." He cleared his throat loudly, his gaze focused at the darkness beyond. "Do you remember the day you came to work for me? Do you remember how angry I was? You, my little blonde pixie, turned up unexpectedly. I've never been good with surprises. Surprises usually lead to bad things. Except for you." He tried to smile but it slipped from his lips a few seconds later.

"I can't say that it's my favourite moment...meeting you. You were rather rude." Betsy replied stiffly. She folded her arms over her chest as she waited for him to continue speaking.

Nick cleared his throat loudly and glanced away. "As I said, I don't enjoy surprises. I like to be in control. So, normally before people start employment with me, I carry out an extensive background check."